


Bullet

by Aluxra



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Injury, M/M, Prompt Fic, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 10:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11461392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aluxra/pseuds/Aluxra
Summary: Taking a bullet for the bae even though he can make himself immune to damage





	Bullet

**Author's Note:**

> [Original Posted:](http://aluxra.tumblr.com/post/159575921817/has-mcyatta-ever-been-requested-if-not-can-i) Apr 14th, 2017
> 
> Prompt: McYatta with the phrase "You dont need to protect me."

The bullet went through his left side, blazing a trail of white hot pain behind it. His mind went blank, blackness encroaching on the edges of his vision even as he squeezed the trigger, his eyes still locked on his targets on his way down. His comm crackled with static, unintelligible voices buzzing across the line, their words lost in the haze that descended over his mind.

He fought for breath, pain flaring in his lungs with every hiss of air through gritted teeth. His fingers spasmed, clawing at the wet dirt under him. Before his vision went black, he saw a bright golden light spread over him, enveloping him in warmth and soothing him to calm as he faded from consciousness.

* * *

 

He woke up in the infirmary two days later, his side throbbing with the beat of his heart, his mind cloudy with morphine. Disorientated, he tried to sit up, accidentally pulling at the leads and tubes attached to him. A high pitched beeping sliced through his head, making him wince and cover his ears to try muffling the sound as the memories flooded back.

Talon had taken them by surprise on a mission in Dorado, investigating a series of attacks surrounding the LumeriCo power stations. The following shootout drew Reaper and Widowmaker into the open and forcing the Overwatch Agents to pull back. He had been on the retreat when he had seen Zenyatta getting cornered by the enemy; he broke cover, rushing to help him. He’d taken down two of the talon agents, had locked Peacekeeper on the remaining four. He had forgotten Widowmaker was still active, when the bullet struck him between his ribs -

A hand on his shoulder pulled him to the present; Angela stood over him, urging him to lay back. She muted the irritating shriek of the machines around him, checking his vitals.

‘Welcome back to us, McCree,’ she said with a warm, reassuring smile. ‘You gave us quite a scare.’

‘Is everyone alright?’ he asked, his tongue feeling strange and heavy in his mouth, awkwardly mumbling his words. ‘Zenyatta, he -’

‘Everyone is fine, McCree,’ she assured him, reaching out and squeezing his arm gently. He relaxed under her touch, relieved. ‘Zenyatta was the one who came to your aid when you fell, until the team could get you back here.’

She chuckled. ‘They have all been asking about you while you’ve been here, I was starting to wonder what they think of my medical abilities.’

‘They all know I’m in good hands, doc,’ he said, offering her a smile and a thumbs up, resting back into his pillows. ‘Though I admit I wouldn’t mind being up and about instead of takin’ up valuable space of yours -’

‘Let me just check a few things before you get ahead of yourself,’ she replied, holding up one hand to halt him. ‘The bullet punctured your lung, and you lost quite a lot of blood: even with my Caduceus staff, I am no miracle worker.’

He pouted, but conceded to her, and after what felt like hours and much grumbling later, Angela was happy to discharge him with orders to rest and return to her immediately if the pain worsened or he struggled for breath. Her Caduceus staff had healed the worst of it after they had extracted the bullet, but he still felt stiff when he tried to move too much or too fast. Unable to lift his arm above his head without feeling his skin and muscle pull taut, the wound already looked old and faded, the skin knitted together in a neat little line. It made showering difficult, but he managed, taking his time under the spray to enjoy the feeling of being clean before he donned a loose shirt and jeans and headed out again.

He found Genji in the lounge with Lucio and Hana, playing on the console while they listened to music. After expressing their happiness at his healing and the following small talk, he got the whereabouts of Zenyatta from Genji and, after a few more minutes of light chatter, excused himself and made his exit.

The sun was beginning to set when he found Zenyatta on the west observation deck, as Genji had said, meditating in the rosy hues of the descending sun, the warm oranges and yellows highlighting the sleek metal of his body. A cool breeze brushed against McCree’s skin, the grit of salt on the wind, the tang invading his nose. Hesitant to interrupt the peaceful scene before him, he paused, watching the monk hover above the ground, the golden orbs circling his head chiming intermittently.

He must have sensed McCree’s presence; he raised his head and looked over his shoulder.

‘McCree! I am happy to see you well once again,’ he said. ‘Please, join me, if you would like.’

‘I wouldn’t mind that at all, partner,’ he said, ambling over to the railing and leaning against it. He pulled a cigarillo from his shirt pocket, holding it up for Zenyatta to see. ‘Y’ don’t if I -’

‘By all means,’ Zenyatta replied with a nod, and McCree nodded in thanks. Lighting the tip, he took a deep drag, expelling the tension between his shoulders with the long, slow exhale. They watched the sunset in companionable silence for a while, McCree smoking his cigarillo while Zenyatta hovered beside him, his hands clasped loosely in his lap. McCree watched him from the corner of his eye, his gaze travelling over his body, checking for damage or injuries. At least that’s what he told himself.

‘Is there something you require, McCree?’ Zenyatta asked, making McCree jump. Right. Without a pair of eyes, you could never tell where the Omnic was looking without some kind of indication.

He cleared his throat, tipping his hat to hide his blush.

‘Just, ah, just wanted to say, thank you for keeping me alive back there, in Dorado,’ he said. He nodded at the scene stretched out before them, the sun kissing the line where the sky and the sea met, the water surface scattered with diamonds in it’s light. ‘Wouldn’t get t’see something like this ever again if you hadn’t, so, I mighty appreciate what you did for me.’

‘It is I who should be thanking you,’ Zenyatta replied. ‘You risked your life to protect me; you did not have to do that.’

‘Now, wait just one minute there, Zen,’ McCree said, straightening up and turning to Zenyatta. ‘You were six to one, with a sniper assassin with you in their sights, I ain’t gonna leave someone facing those odds alone.’

‘True, I was outnumbered,’ Zenyatta agreed, reaching out to touch McCree’s shoulder. ‘But all is as the Iris wills it, and I can become one with it to avoid harm. You do not need to protect me at the risk of your own life.’

‘I wanted to,’ McCree replied quietly, taking Zenyatta’s hand in his. Pulling the cigarillo from between his lips, he raised Zenyatta’s hand and pressed a kiss to the cool metal of his knuckles. He gazed up at Zenyatta’s face through his eyelashes. ‘I’d do it again to, if it ever came to it. I’d hate to lose you.’

‘All of us would,’ he quickly added. ‘Genji, Lena… you’re really important. To a lot of people.’

Zenyatta said nothing, the gears and pistons inside him hissing and whirring loudly in the quiet that stretched between them. McCree cleared his throat, looking away as Zenyatta drew his fingers from McCree’s hand. He felt the touch of cool metal against his cheek, and his eyes found Zenyatta’s once again when Zenyatta tucked a curl of hair behind his ear, cupping his face in his hand.

‘You are important too. I would hate for something to happen to you,’ he said quietly. ‘I will do my best in future to avoid that risk.’

McCree smiled after a moment of surprise, turning his face towards Zenyatta’s palm and pressing a soft kiss there, before wrapping his hand around it and lacing their fingers together. They lapsed into comfortable silence again, standing so close their shoulders touched, their fingers remaining interlocked while they watched the sky darken to violet and felt the air turn chilly, and they headed inside for the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me on [tumblr](http://aluxra.tumblr.com)


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